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(1) Brock,B - Aramil,W [E92]
Illinois Open (5), 09.2000
[Chow, Al, and Bill Brock]
[Brock] The world-renowned "Immortal Seven Queens Game." FM Al Chow's comments first appeared in the November-December 2000 Illinois Chess Bulletin. 1.d4
Nf6
2.c4
g6
3.Nc3
Bg7
4.e4
d6
5.Be2
0-0
6.Nf3
e5
Diagram # 7.d5
[Brock] The Petrosian System was a good practical choice. At that time, William was already a wonderful tactician, but his positional play still had the typical weaknesses of a young player. In the fifteen minutes I had to prepare for the game, I skimmed an ICB article in which Al Chow had pointed out that William didn't understand bad Bishops. (Trust me, he understands them very well now.) 7...a5
8.Bg5
Na6
9.Nd2
Nc5
10.h3
c6
11.b3
Qc7
12.0-0
Ne8
13.g4
f5
14.f3
f4
15.Bh4
h5
16.Bf2
Na6
17.Kg2
g5
18.Rh1
Rf6
19.a3
c5
20.Rh2
Rh6
21.Qc2
Qf7
22.Rah1
Bd7
23.Rb1
Nf6
24.Qd1
Qg6
25.Qc2
Kf7
26.Na2
Rah8
27.Rbh1
[Brock] All the pieces are still on the board. 27...hxg4
28.hxg4
Rxh2+
29.Rxh2
Rxh2+
30.Kxh2
Qh7+
31.Kg2
Qh8
32.Qb1
Qd8
33.Nc1
Qb8
34.Nd3
b5?
[Chow] By maintaining the blockade pawn wall defense with 34...Bf8!, the chances would remain even. 35.cxb5
Bxb5
36.Nc1!
[Chow] Now White is able to exchange away his worst weakness, the badlight-squa red Bishop that has been sitting motionless on e2 since move six. 36...Bxe2
37.Nxe2
Ke7
38.Nc3
Nc7
39.Nc4
Nb5
40.Nxb5
Qxb5
41.a4!
Qa6
42.Be1
[Chow] A sad fate for the isolated a-pawn. 42...Qc8
43.Qd1
Nd7
44.Nxa5
[ [Chow] 44.Bxa5
should also win easily.] 44...Nb6
45.Qd3
Qa8
46.Qb5
Nd7
47.Qb7
[ [Chow] The obvious 47.Nc6+!
followed by 48.a5, 49.a6, and 50. Qb7 would promote the passer, win material, and force resignation. Instead, Brock uses the slow torture method.] 47...Qxb7
48.Nxb7
Nb8
49.Kf2?!
[ [Chow] Much stronger was 49.b4!
Na6
50.b5!
] 49...Kd7
50.Ke2
Bf6
51.Na5
Bd8
52.Nc4
Bc7
53.Kd3
Na6
54.Na3
Bb8
55.Kc4
Kc8
56.Nb5
Kd7
57.Nc3
Nb4
58.Ne2
Nc2
59.Bf2
Kc7
60.Kc3?
[ [Brock] Fritz points out that White wins a second pawn with the strange-looking 60.Ng1!
The Kc7 and the Bb8 step on each other's toes.] 60...Nb4
61.Nc1
Ba7
62.Be1
Bb6
63.Nd3
Nxd3
64.Kxd3
Kb7
[Chow] White's Bishop has good chances to attack all Black's chained pawns, while Black's Bishop is bad at passive defense. [Brock] However, sometimes a Bishop is so bad that it's good enough to draw. White has to find a way to break the blockade. 65.Kc4
Ka6
66.Bd2
Bc7
67.Bc1
Bb6
68.Ba3
Ba7
69.Bb2
Kb6
70.Bc3
[Brock] I already had serious time pressure problems, with only about ten minutes (plus the delay increment) left to finish the game. 70...Bb8
71.a5+
[Brock] Necessary to deflect the Black King from protecting the c5 pawn. 71...Ka6
72.Bxe5!!
[Chow] Break on through to the other side! [ [Brock] Probably necessary, as normal solutions like 72.b4
cxb4
73.Kxb4
Bc7
74.Ka4
Bb8
no longer seem to work.] 72...dxe5
73.Kxc5
Kxa5
74.d6
Ba7+
75.Kc6
[ [Brock] Fritz suggests 75.Kd5
as more direct. But I continue my slow-torture policy.] 75...Bb6
76.b4+
Ka6
77.Kd5
Kb5
78.Kxe5
Kc4!
[Brock] Black's only try is to promote the f-pawn ASAP. 79.Kf5
Kd4
80.b5
Bd8
81.Ke6
Ke3
82.Kd7
Kxf3
[ [Chow] Moving the Bishop also loses the race to crown a new Queen: 82...Ba5
83.e5
Kxf3
84.e6
Kxg4
85.e7
f3
86.e8Q
] 83.Kxd8
Kxg4
[ [Chow] White also scores first after 83...Kxe4
84.b6
f3
85.b7
f2
86.b8Q
f1Q
87.Qb7+!
] 84.b6
f3
85.b7
f2
86.b8Q
f1Q
87.Qc8+
Kh5
88.Qf5
Qa6
[ [Chow] White has a winning skewer tactic after 88...Qxf5
89.exf5
g4
90.f6
g3
91.f7
g2
92.f8Q
g1Q
93.Qh8+
] 89.e5
Qa8+
90.Ke7
Qb7+
91.d7
Qb4+
92.Ke8
Qb5
93.Qf7+
Kh4
94.Qf2+
Kh3
95.Qe3+
Kh4
96.e6
g4
97.Qh6+
Kg3
98.e7
Diagram # [Brock] I was down to thirty seconds on the clock, and our game had drawn a crowd of spectators, including Rick Aramil, Les Bale, and Bill Smythe. In anticipation of a time scramble, both Aramil and I had previously borrowed a second Queen from the adjoining table. At this point, I leaned back to pluck a third Queen from the table behind me. Both players and spectators giggled. 98...Kg2
99.Qf6
Qh5+
100.Kf8
g3
101.d8Q
Kh2
102.e8Q
Qc5+
103.Qee7
Qh5
104.Qd2+
[ [Brock] 104.Qh4+
is of course more sensible, but the cute way only takes one extra move. Any serious claim for this to be a record-setting game should be taken with a grain of salt, as Black is simply hoping for a time-pressure blunder.] 104...g2
105.Qff4+
Kh1
106.Qee1+
g1Q
Diagram # [Chow] Five promoted Queens, and a total of seven in the game. 107.Qfe4+
1-0
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